Why Baby Wipes Are Safe yet Effective Household Cleaners

Once upon a time, I attempted to clean a dirty, white Apple keyboard with alcohol pads, lysol, and even a bit of hydrogen peroxide. Nothing worked to safely and completely get the keyboard clean from months of dirty finger prints. So I gave up, thinking it was never going to look as beautiful as it once did, ever again.

Then one day, I realized I had oil on my fingers as I tried to use my once beautiful Apple keyboard. I grabbed the first cleaning cloth (Pamper’s baby wipes) closest to me to wipe away this oil.

It was all by accident, but all the finger stains, oil, and dirt buildup on the keyboard had miraculously disappeared! My husband and I were shocked!

“Wow! How can something that’s supposed to be safe on a baby’s skin, clean such hard stains?” my husband asked.

Wipes are essentially a moistened piece of paper or cloth used for personal hygiene or cleaning. The intended application is what determines the liquid used to moisten these cloths and, in some cases, softeners, lotions and perfumes may be added.

Wet wipes for babies

Less additives are added to the formula of baby wipes due to a baby’s sensitive skin. These wipes are usually moistened with solutions including a gentle cleanser but some will have stronger alcohol based cleansers in them.

While there are a number of different kinds of wipes that have been made over the years, baby wipes have remained one of the most common household items to be used for multiple purposes, far outside what they are specifically packaged for. If you consider the purpose of baby wipes, to remove waste from a baby and clean their skin, it is reasonable to expect this material to cut through dirt and grime on other surfaces.

Because baby wipes are intended for use with newborns and toddlers, they are formulated for sensitive skin. With children this young, their skin is very fragile and susceptible to irritation. Because of this these pads are made with the gentlest components possible. However, they can also be effective at removing dirt and other typical grime without damaging the materials involved, such as a computer keyboard.

In some cases, harsh cleansers could remove the paint on the keys in addition to the dirt, but baby wipes are gentle enough to leave the finish on the keys while removing the unwanted dirt buildup.

Cleansing pads

Cleansing pads are similar to baby wipes. These are usually sponges instead of paper products that have been soaked in water, alcohol, or another cleaner depending on its purpose. These are typically formulated to get rid of dirt, grease, and makeup.

Some cleansing pads are formulated to help kill bacteria and germs that might accumulate on dirty little hands through the course of the day, especially during cold and flu season.

Why wipes make good household cleaners

Most wet wipes for the skin do contain a cleanser, just as any other cleaning product would. It’s just at a gentler level then pads specifically intended for cleaning. You wouldn’t want to use an industrial strength cleaner to dab at a spot on your keyboard or you may end up removing all of the color form it as well.

The delicacy of baby wipes, when combined with the cleaning and disinfectant qualities that they are made for, make them perfect for cleaning a variety of surfaces in the house that may typically require special chemicals to treat safely.

Overall, baby wipes are safe and effective household cleansers because they are designed to clean gently. They are moistened with a gentle cleaner that won’t harm a baby’s sensitive skin but that will still clean effectively and sanitize.

I have used baby wipes to clean surfaces before, mostly when it was the quickest thing I could grab. I also really like using them as a makeup remover. They work a lot better than some products specially made for removing makeup.

I use wipes for everything under the sun to my sisters face to my phone to sometimes the table too if I don’t have the cleaning supplies, they are just so helpful for everything even on chairs sometimes.

I use wipes for everything under the sun to my sisters face to my phone to sometimes the table too if I don’t have the cleaning supplies, they are just so helpful for everything even on chairs sometimes.

You know what, I fell in love with baby wipes in college when I was working as a nanny for triplet boys and their baby brother. Now I have them in use in various rooms of my house…and we have no kids LOL

This is awesome information about baby wipes for household cleaning. I have used baby wipes one my keyboards and in my car before for cleaning. The less additives in the baby wipes I have never really thought about though. Thanks for sharing the info.